What is BOW?

The Arizona Wildlife Federation
(AWF) conducts Becoming an Outdoor Woman (BOW
®) twice a year at Friendly Pines Camp outside
Prescott, AZ in the spring and late summer. AWF
also hosts a Deluxe BOW in the desert at
Saguaro Lake Ranch in January or
February. The three-day workshops begin
at noon Friday and end shortly after noon the
following Sunday.

BOW gives women (18 and older) the
opportunity to learn about hunting, fishing and
related activities in a relaxed and informal
atmosphere. Skills such as gun safety,
shooting, angling (including fly fishing),
camping, Dutch-oven cooking, map and compass
reading, marksmanship with rifle and bow are
taught. A complete list of courses which
you may find at BOW can be found at BOW Class
Descriptions

In addition to
the various classes, there are a number of
evening events for the women to enjoy, that may
include, "hawk talks", nature hikes, fashion
shows, fly tying and wild game tasting. The
weekend schedule would be similar toBOW Sample
Schedule

Our
instructors, who volunteer their time to teach
these classes, are experts in their field. Some
are employed in the fields they teach; others
are experts in their subjects, including
archery and rifle marksmanship. Still others
are Arizona Game and Fish and U.S. Forest
Service employees with years of experience in
the flora and fauna of Arizona.

Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) is a
program started by Christine Thomas, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor of Resource Management at
the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Pointe. The
first BOW clinic was conducted in Wisconsin in
September 1991. The Arizona workshop is part of
the same curriculum and each workshop is
organized with the aid of the Safari Club
International of Phoenix and the Arizona Game
and Fish Department. The National Wildlife
Federation and the Rocky Mountain Elk
Foundation are just two of BOW’s national
supporters. Visit the national bow
site:

Registration
for the Friendly Pines BOW weekends covers
meals, lodging in a rustic cabin, and most
miscellaneous expenses related to the
workshops. Enrollees need only
personal items, bedding, and/or sleeping bags.
The accommodations at the Deluxe BOW are more
upscale, as you would expect.

Information and registration forms can
be obtained from the Arizona Wildlife
Federation Office, or on this website when they
become available.

Read articles,
comments, testimonials and see photos from some
of the past BOW events by visiting our BOW
GALLERY.

You can help send
another worthy woman to BOW by donating toward
our scholarship fund. Either send a check
to the AWF office, writing “BOW
Scholarship” in the memo, or click on the
“Contribute Now!” button below. When
completing the payment screen just indicate the
Sandra Nagiller Fund for the purpose.

Contact AWF via email at
awf@azwildlife.org or call (480) 644-0077 for
more information.

Opportunities Beyond Your BOW Experience

"The
Arizona Wildlife Federation does not offer
aBeyond BOW
™program at this
time. Meanwhile,
links to our instructors, partners and sponsors
are posted for you to
explore the various opportunities they
offer."